Cheese
Jennie's Homemade Manicotti
Popular on Food52
44 Reviews
Babette's S.
March 8, 2018
To me, this is not manicotti but baked crespelle. I've always known manicotti and cannelloni as pasta tubes. Whatever the correct term, it does look like a great recipe. Look forward to trying it.
Emily L.
March 28, 2016
made this last night (with the exception of buying the ricotta) and was pleasantly surprised at how well it turned out for my first time making pasta. instructions are easy to follow and it was delicious!
michelle_a
December 27, 2015
Incredible dish - instructions are spot on; be sure to get your hands on a crepe pan as this helped tremendously! De Buyer makes a lovely one. Will be making manicotti far more often here on out.
Mary A.
October 8, 2015
Isn't it true that if you use ultra pasteurized milk that the ricotta won't curdle? If you don't specify this, people will mistakenly use the wrong type of milk and waste their money, correct?
Brain H.
March 10, 2012
My mom used to make manicotti like this, and she would add a pinch of nutmeg to the crespelle batter, which is also a nice touch. But my Aunt Stella had the best crespelle dish; she layered them in a lasagne, with 6 or so overlapping layers of crespelle instead of pasta. Oh that is so good too!
AntoniaJames
March 9, 2011
I made this tonight using frozen spinach, having consulted with my PicklePals, including Peanut, thank you very much ;o) . . . the spinach seemed a bit wet even after I squeezed it out, so I added an egg and a scant tablespoon of flour . . . my ricotta was very dry, for some reason, so I didn't worry too much about it. I put down a fat little log of the cheese filling, then put right on it not quite the same amount of the spinach (I'd added a tiny pinch of nutmeg to that as well), rolled them up and was on my way. Used homemade marinara, served with a Caesar whose dressing included juice of one of my Meyers, picked about 15 seconds before I made the dressing. Really outstanding! I'm definitely making this again, soon, including more ricotta. What a terrific recipe. ;o)
Peanut
March 10, 2011
AntoniaJames, you're welcome for the Pickle advice, and I thank YOU for teaching me how to make a commenter feel appreciated! Per my latest posting on the Pickle, I always mix the spinach in with the ricotta mixture; I think it makes a more cohesive filling. And it's less fuss! Do you think I could grow a Meyer lemon tree in my NYC apartment?
Peanut
March 7, 2011
Had this for dinner last night - outstanding! The ricotta filling was very rich; you really don't need too much in each. I added a package of thawed frozen spinach, an extra egg, and some of my leftover whey to get a creamy texture, and I added fresh basil to the marinara and just a little grated mozzarella on top. This was a riot of wonderful, fresh flavors. Loved it and will definitely make again.
Peanut
March 6, 2011
I made the ricotta yesterday, and although it's good, I don't think it's worth the expense of all that milk and cream for the relatively small amount of ricotta that results (I got what looks to be about a cup to a cup and a half. And I've got all the leftover whey (3-4 cups) that I have to store and figure out how to use (thanks, Foodpickle, for suggestions). Granted, I'm using milk and cream from the farmers' market -- if I didn't mind using "industrial" milk it would be a lot cheaper. But I think ricotta bought from the farmers' market would be as good and less expensive. I'd love to hear what other people think about this. How much ricotta did you get from this recipe?
Binte's K.
February 6, 2011
the rich velvety texture of the marinara is a treat for the eyes. splendid job!
FrozenFoodie
February 21, 2010
I've been wanting to make a cheese for some time, and the ricotta was so easy and worlds better than anything from the store. It was so good that my 10 year-old was eating it by the spoonful. Thanks!
djgibboni
February 7, 2010
@SavoryKitchen -- the crespelle in soup that I know of is an Abruzzese dish, known as "scripell' m'busse." Crespelle are rolled with grated, dry cheese (parmigiano, or pecorino) a bit of black pepper maybe, then layered in a soup plate, over which hot chicken stock ("brodo") is poured. It is a lovely first course, and a specialty of the city of Teramo. I know it well, largely because that's where my maternal grandfather's family came from.
Savorykitchen
February 8, 2010
That sounds delicious! A great way to use the "sacrificial crepe" for lunch for one.
Jennifer P.
February 10, 2010
Oh my, I have to try this one day soon! Thanks for sharing it with us all.
djgibboni
February 7, 2010
And I thought I was the only crazy who made manicotti with crepes (or crespelle, as we call them)! Most recipes use a sheet of egg pasta.
Only difference -- I roll mine up 'burrito style,' tucking in the sides as I'm rolling.
Only difference -- I roll mine up 'burrito style,' tucking in the sides as I'm rolling.
Oui, C.
February 4, 2010
WOW! Another Hat-trick winner for Food52. Congratulations! This dish looks fabulous, and is one the kids and I will be making soon. I've got some locally sourced, artisinal ricotta that will be perfect here. Cheers - S
WinnieAb
February 3, 2010
Yum! I haven't had a chance to make this yet, but plan to very soon...congratulations on your win!
Annelle
February 1, 2010
I can't speak to what anything 'really' is--I use the crepe method for manicotti when I don't have fresh pasta and it's wonderful, and light. Jennifer's recipe is wonderful, not to mention the addition of fresh ricotta. 'Fresh' always makes a huge difference!
When I make cannelloni, I use fresh very thin pasta rectangles, spread a very thin layer of filling over the entire noodle, and then roll it up. For manicotti, (I always use some sort of ricotta filling for this) it's more of putting the filling straight down the center, and then closing the pasta around it. So, for me, manicotti is a fatter, stuffed pasta, and cannelloni is a thiner spread filling and rolled. It's all so good! Great job, Jennifer!
When I make cannelloni, I use fresh very thin pasta rectangles, spread a very thin layer of filling over the entire noodle, and then roll it up. For manicotti, (I always use some sort of ricotta filling for this) it's more of putting the filling straight down the center, and then closing the pasta around it. So, for me, manicotti is a fatter, stuffed pasta, and cannelloni is a thiner spread filling and rolled. It's all so good! Great job, Jennifer!
Amber O.
January 29, 2010
Fresh pasta or noodles don't feature milk that I know of, so these are crepes, a different animal I think. Please enlighten me to this type of noodle. I already voted for this recipe for it's simplicity, ingredients and visually lovely appeal.
lastnightsdinner
January 30, 2010
I've used a recipe for making fresh egg noodles that uses milk, so I don't think it's *too* out there. At any rate, having made this for dinner earlier in the week, I will heartily agree that it's a simple, tasty, and lovely dish!
Jennifer P.
January 31, 2010
Amber, many people have been surprised to find out that manicotti, while categorized as a pasta, is prepared using a crepe method, so you're not alone.
Jennifer, I'm so glad you made this dish and loved it as much as we do! And thanks for the lovely mention on your blog!
Jennifer, I'm so glad you made this dish and loved it as much as we do! And thanks for the lovely mention on your blog!
Savorykitchen
January 31, 2010
I think the other confusion is that generally people tend to think of cannelloni and manicotti as the same thing (at least the folks in my circles). Manicotti is traditionally made with crepes, while cannelloni are made of tubes (or sheets) of pasta. Technically, manicotti is a dish, while cannelloni is a pasta.
Doesn't help that Barilla calls cannelloni noodles "manicotti" in their packaging - certainly adds to the confusion. The Silver Spoon cookbook only contains a cannelloni recipe, but has a crespelle (crepe) recipe that is very manicotti-like. The Encyclopedia of Pasta discusses cannelloni as a pasta shape and crepes (crespelle) get a huge entry to themselves too.
Interestingly, in the areas where crespelle are eaten, they are cut up into thin noodles and served in broth.
Doesn't help that Barilla calls cannelloni noodles "manicotti" in their packaging - certainly adds to the confusion. The Silver Spoon cookbook only contains a cannelloni recipe, but has a crespelle (crepe) recipe that is very manicotti-like. The Encyclopedia of Pasta discusses cannelloni as a pasta shape and crepes (crespelle) get a huge entry to themselves too.
Interestingly, in the areas where crespelle are eaten, they are cut up into thin noodles and served in broth.
Jennifer P.
January 31, 2010
Savorykitchen—what a perfect summary. You are spot on about the confusion, mainly by mainsteam companies that market cannelloni and manicotti interchangeably, and give a great breakdown of the two. Thanks!
Janneke V.
January 31, 2010
this is how I make crepes as well, not sure about the quantities I use but I think it's close. But it works and I guess that's the most important thing. I did not have all the ingredients so for me it was a baked pumpkin with red onion and garlic and then cooked in milk with cream cheese + bacon and rucola filling; I know it's nothing like it but I just wanted to check if the crepes would hold well in the sauce and not get soggy. The result was great so when I don't have time to make a pasta dough, I know how to substitute it now.Congratulations Jenny..
Savorykitchen
February 1, 2010
You bet Jennifer - of course, as any Italian grandmother can probably tell us, what it's called doesn't matter, as long as it tastes good. :-)
lastnightsdinner
January 28, 2010
I made these last night, subbing in our favorite local ricotta for homemade, and topping them with a little fresh mozzarella. We practically licked the baking dish clean. What a fabulous dish, and thank you for sharing it.
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